In Phoenix, Gallego Meets with Local Leaders, Pushes Back on Trump’s Health Care & Head Start Cuts

Senator Also Sits Down With Latino Men As Part of “Más Que Macho” Initiative PHOENIX — Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) spent the weekend meeting with more than 1,700 state and local elected officials, healthcare advocates, banking leaders, Head Start educators and parents, and Hispanic men to hear directly about the challenges facing Arizona families and communities. On Thursday, Senator Gallego attended the 2026 Arizona League of Cities and Towns Conference , where he met with mayors, council members and local officials from across Arizona to discuss the challenges facing their communities and how he can advocate for them at the federal level. Gallego emphasized the importance of maintaining strong relationships with local leaders and ensuring Arizona communities have a voice in Washington. Gallego speaks with Joseph Yuhas, Infrastructure Partner at Sustainability Partners at the 2026 Arizona League of Cities and Towns Conference On Friday, Senator Gallego participated in Protect Our Care’s “Sick of It Fix Health Care Now” Press Conference . The Senator discussed the impact of the Trump Administration and Republicans’ recent Medicaid cuts, which are expected to push thousands of Arizonans out of coverage and put additional strain on hospitals, clinics and rural healthcare providers across the state. “This was a choice,” said Senator Gallego. “Republicans made a deliberate choice to cut Medicaid and let Affordable Care Act tax credits expire. They could have protected millions of Americans, but instead they chose to prioritize tax breaks for the wealthiest and please Donald Trump. “And we haven’t even seen the worst of it yet. Rural clinics are going to feel the pain. Hospitals are going to feel the pain. Families across Arizona are going to feel the pain,” Senator Gallego added. “Kicking people off their health insurance is one of the worst choices you can make — and Republicans are going to have to answer for it when millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Arizonans, are left struggling to afford or access the care they need.” Later in the day, Senator Gallego hosted a roundtable with the Arizona Bankers Association to discuss the housing affordability crisis, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and ways to help small businesses access the resources they need to grow. Afterwards, Gallego met with Head Start parents, educators and program leaders who shared concerns about federal funding delays, increased red tape and proposed changes by the Trump Administration. The disruptions could affect more than 17,000 Arizona children, including children served by tribal Head Start programs, who rely on these programs for early learning, health, mental health, nutrition and family support services. Gallego talks with Arizona teachers and parents at Urban Strategies, Early Head Start Center “Cuts are going to force Head Start Arizona to make some hard decisions,” said Senator Gallego. “Changing class sizes means quality is going to be diminished. Childcare is so expensive, I think the last thing we should do is weaken this system. We have to focus on fully funding and supporting Head Start.” To finish the day, Senator Gallego participated in a “Más Que Macho” event hosted by America’s Future Project. Gallego joined Hispanic men from across the Phoenix area for lunch and an open conversation about the issues affecting their families and communities. He asked participants what issues matter most to them, whether they feel represented and heard, and what he can do to better serve their communities. Gallego speaks at “Más Que Macho” event in downtown Phoenix “I don’t think society understands the deep responsibility that Latino men feel every day to either provide or protect their family,” said Senator Gallego. “I think as politicians, we should try to figure out what that looks like. Are we going to actually bring programs forward to help these men be good fathers, be good husbands, be good partners, be good business leaders, lead their families, and make them feel that we value what they’re doing? And by the way, we can still do all this, while still valuing the Latinas in our life. They are the leaders of the community too.”